Patterson's eligibility settled

Is Chicago, Ill. linebacker and Sooner signee Chris Patterson headed to Norman or Junior College?

Sooner 2004 linebacker signee Chris Patterson told OUInsider.com today that he will not be eligible at Oklahoma this season and will instead enroll at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder said he made a 17 on his last ACT test, but needed a score of 19 to qualify. He said the delay in determining his status was a result of his test scores getting lost in the mail.

"It's disappointing to a certain point," said Patterson. "But as long as I still end up at Oklahoma, that's the main thing."

Patterson said he will report to NEO on August 8. He said he plans to graduate in a year-and-a-half to be eligible for spring drills in 2006.

"The (OU) coaches told me that after I finish up with my JUCO, that I've still got my scholarship to OU," said Patterson. "I told them that I'm going to hold my word for them. Pretty much, the fans in Norman have nothing to worry about."

Patterson said he is looking forward to playing at NEO. He said he and NEO head coach Dale Patterson have already talked about his role on the team.

"They run the same defense (as OU)," said Patterson. "I'm not wasting years, I'm getting better. They only accept the best players, so it's not like they're just taking anybody. They've got a lot of ball players from all over the country."